Love: A Covenant Demand

As we begin a new series and a new year at that, we want to focus on covenant as a building block to community, and Jonathan as a role model in this regard. In today's passage, Jonathan makes a covenant with David that lasts their entire life time and transcends to future generations. What is a covenant?

A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties. It is cut in blood, meaning there must be shedding of blood for a covenant to be established. This blood symbolizes the death of the parties to the covenant, meaning they subject themselves fully and totally to the demands of the covenant, and will not allow their selfish tendencies to interfere with the demands of the covenant. They will not violate the covenant because their selfish desires are dead.

The Hebrew word "berith", which is translated "covenant", carries the connotation that one is bound permanently to the demands of the covenant as set out in the vows. The Greek word "diatheke", which is also translated " covenant " carries the connotation "to set something out in order". "Diatheke" also carries the translation "testament" which sets out the legal parameters of the covenant. In this regard, terms and conditions must be set forth to sefeguard the covenant entity. This takes the form of vows, affidavits, deeds, certificates, constitutions and all such documents. Covenants require that both parties are willing to keep covenant demands despite of their selfish demands. This means the Covenant Ceremony is a ceremony of death to the selfish desires of the parties involved.

In today's passage, the covenant journey between Jonathan and David begins with oneness. Jonathan became one spirit and one soul with David. This means their values and aspirations were aligned, then meshed. Secondly, and based on the first, Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. Thirdly, Jonathan made a Covenant with David based on the aforementioned points. At the Covenant Ceremony, Jonathan gave David his robe, symbolizing death to himself; his tunic, symbolizing his wealth; his sword, symbolizing his strength; his bow symbolizing his weapons and his belt, a symbol of his honour. The basis of this covenant was oneness and love.

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Welcome to LUC

Lavington United Church was founded in 1960 through a joint effort of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Methodist Church of Kenya (MCK) and the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) as a community church to minister to the Lavington community.<<Read full History>>